Systems and methods for determining dominant colors in an image

Abstract

Systems and methods for determining a dominant color in a digital image are provided, including a computing device configured to receive a digital image, divide the digital image into a plurality of pixel groups including at least a first pixel group and a second pixel group, analyze pixels in the first pixel group based on a first sample rate, analyze pixels in the second pixel group based on a second sample rate, and determine a dominant color for the digital image based on the analyzed pixels in the first pixel group and analyzed pixels in the second pixel group. The pixels in the first pixel group are closer to the center of the image than the pixels in the second pixel group and the first sample rate is greater than the second sample rate.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system comprising:
 a computing device configured to receive a digital image, divide the digital image into a plurality of pixel groups including at least a first pixel group and a second pixel group, analyze pixels in the first pixel group based on a first sample rate, analyze pixels in the second pixel group based on a second sample rate, and determine a dominant color for the digital image based on the analyzed pixels in the first pixel group and analyzed pixels in the second pixel group; 
 wherein the pixels in the first pixel group are closer to the center of the image than the pixels in the second pixel group and the first sample rate is greater than the second sample rate. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the plurality of pixel groups also includes a third pixel group; 
 the computing device is further configured to analyze pixels in the third pixel group based on a third sample rate and determine the dominant color for the digital image based on the analyzed pixels in the third pixel group, in addition to the analyzed pixels in the first pixel group and the analyzed pixels in the second pixel group; 
 the pixels in third pixel group are farther from the center of the image than the pixels in the first pixel group and the pixels in the second pixel group; and 
 the third sample rate is less than the second sample rate. 
 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device is further configured to generate a tally for each pixel color of the analyzed pixels in the first pixel group and the analyzed pixels in the second pixel group and determine the dominant color for the digital image based on the pixel color having a greatest corresponding tally. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device is further configured to determine chroma values for the pixels in the first pixel group and the pixels in the second pixel group and to exclude from the analysis any pixel having a chroma value that is less than a predetermined chroma threshold. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device is further configured to determine lightness values for the pixels in the first pixel group and the pixels in the second pixel group and to exclude from the analysis any pixel having a lightness value that is less than a predetermined lightness threshold. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device is further configured to determine lightness values for the pixels in the first pixel group and the pixels in the second pixel group and to exclude from the analysis any pixel having a lightness value that is greater than a predetermined lightness threshold. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device is further configured to determine a closest matching paint color to the dominant color and output at least one of a paint color name and a paint color identification code for the closest matching paint color to the dominant color. 
     
     
       8. A method comprising:
 receiving, with a computing device, a digital image; 
 dividing, with the computing device, the digital image into a plurality of pixel groups including at least a first pixel group and a second pixel group; 
 analyzing, with the computing device, pixels in the first pixel group based on a first sample rate; 
 analyzing, with the computing device, pixels in the second pixel group based on a second sample rate; and 
 determining, with the computing device, a dominant color for the digital image based on the analyzed pixels in the first pixel group and the analyzed pixels in the second pixel group; 
 wherein the pixels in the first pixel group are closer to the center of the image than pixels in the second pixel group and the first sample rate is greater than the second sample rate. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of pixel groups also includes a third pixel group having pixels that are farther from the center of the image than the pixels in the first pixel group and the pixels in the second pixel group, the method further comprising:
 analyzing, with the computing device, pixels in the third pixel group based on a third sample rate, the third sample rate being less than the second sample rate; and 
 determining, with the computing device, the dominant color for the digital image based on the analyzed pixels in the third pixel group, in addition to the analyzed pixels in the first pixel group and the analyzed pixels in the second pixel group. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 generating, with the computing device, a tally for each pixel color of the analyzed pixels in the first pixel group and the analyzed pixels in the second pixel group; and 
 determining, with the computing device, the dominant color for the digital image based on the pixel color having a greatest corresponding tally. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 determining, with the computing device, chroma values for the pixels in the first pixel group and the pixels in the second pixel group; and 
 excluding, with the computing device, from the analysis any pixel having a chroma value that is less than a predetermined chroma threshold. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 determining, with the computing device, lightness values for the pixels in the first pixel group and the pixels in the second pixel group; and 
 excluding, with the computing device, from the analysis any pixel having a lightness value that is less than a predetermined lightness threshold. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 determining, with the computing device, lightness values for the pixels in the first pixel group and the pixels in the second pixel group; and 
 excluding, with the computing device, from the analysis any pixel having a lightness value that is greater than a predetermined lightness threshold. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 determining, with the computing device, a closest matching paint color to the dominant color; and 
 outputting, with the computing device, at least one of a paint color name and a paint color identification code for the closest matching paint color to the dominant color. 
 
     
     
       15. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing an application for a computing device, the application including computer executable instructions to configure the computing device to:
 receive a digital image; 
 divide the digital image into a plurality of pixel groups including at least a first pixel group and a second pixel group; 
 analyze pixels in the first pixel group based on a first sample rate; 
 analyze pixels in the second pixel group based on a second sample rate; and 
 determine a dominant color for the digital image based on the analyzed pixels in the first pixel group and the analyzed pixels in the second pixel group; 
 wherein the pixels in the first pixel group are closer to the center of the image than the pixels in the second pixel group and the first sample rate is greater than the second sample rate. 
 
     
     
       16. The non-transitory computer readable medium recited by  claim 15 , the application further including computer executable instructions to further configure the computing device to generate a tally for each pixel color of the analyzed pixels in the first pixel group and the analyzed pixels in the second pixel group and determine the dominant color for the digital image based on the pixel color having a greatest corresponding tally. 
     
     
       17. The non-transitory computer readable medium recited by  claim 15 , the application further including computer executable instructions to further configure the computing device to determine chroma values for the pixels in the first pixel group and the pixels in the second pixel group and to exclude from the analysis any pixel having a chroma value that is less than a predetermined chroma threshold. 
     
     
       18. The non-transitory computer readable medium recited by  claim 15 , the application further including computer executable instructions to further configure the computing device to determine lightness values for the pixels in the first pixel group and the pixels in the second pixel group and to exclude from the analysis any pixel having a lightness value that is less than a predetermined lightness threshold. 
     
     
       19. The non-transitory computer readable medium recited by  claim 15 , the application further including computer executable instructions to further configure the computing device to determine lightness values for the pixels in the first pixel group and the pixels in the second pixel group and to exclude from the analysis any pixel having a lightness value that is greater than a predetermined lightness threshold. 
     
     
       20. The non-transitory computer readable medium recited by  claim 15 , the application further including computer executable instructions to further configure the computing device to determine a closest matching paint color to the dominant color and output at least one of a paint color name and a paint color identification code for the closest matching paint color to the dominant color.